The American Heart Association's guidelines for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis: a critical review.

Since 1955, the American Heart Association (AHA) has made eight recommendations regarding the prevention of bacterial endocarditis. The most recent guidelines were published in 1997. Presented here is a review of the AHA recommendations, with emphasis on the 1997 guidelines. The new recommendations list the medical conditions that require antibiotic prophylaxis, expand the number of dental procedures that do not require prophylaxis, and present single-dose regimens for use in patients who are susceptible to bacterial endocarditis. These single-dose oral regimens should lead to increased compliance by dentists and patients.